FLINT, MI -- Local hoops fans may be used to rooting for the Detroit Pistons, but this month Genesee County gets to root for a world-renowned basketball squad from across the country.

On Monday, Jan. 28, the Harlem Globetrotters will play at
Flint's Perani Arena and Event Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and tickets range
from $22 to $79. A "Magic Pass," which is available for $15, gives attendees a
chance to interact with the team, get autographs and photos, and learn on-court
tricks before the game.

The Globetrotters, a basketball team that combines basketball,
theater and comedy, has played in 87 consecutive seasons since it was founded
in 1926. On Monday, Jan. 7, the team strapped on customized "ice cleats" and
hockey helmets to play on ice at The Ice Rink at Millenium Park in Portage,
Mich. the game was a replacement for the "Winter Classic" hockey game by the
NHL, which was in the midst of a four-month lockout.

For the rest of the month, the team will play in Michigan its
"You Write The Rules Tour," which lets fans vote online for different quirks in
the game: playing with two basketballs at once, the ability to shoot a
four-point shot from 35 feet away from the basket, double points for every
score, or playing six players against five. The team takes on a new rule at the
start of every quarter, and the rule for the fourth quarter is determined by
crowd applause. Other stops include Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Grand Rapids,
with Flint being the final stop.

Buckets Blakes, a guard for the Globetrotters, said the team
is accustomed to making changes on the fly during their games.

"The Globetrotters are the kings of improvising on the court
when we need to. We have a little fun, get some quick shots, and run some quick
plays," said Blakes. "Before the quarter when
they announce [the new rule], we huddle up and figure what we're going to do
from there."

Blakes saw the Globetrotters play live as a five-year-old,
and he continued to watch their escapades on TV with appearances on "The New
Scooby Doo Movies" and "Gilligan's Island." After years of playing basketball on
scholarship for several colleges, playing in the Canadian Basketball
Association, and the NBA Developmental League, he signed a 10-day contract to
the team. He's still a member of the Globetrotters 11 seasons later.

Jeremy Torrey, general manager of Perani, said the team last
played in Flint in January 2007. He said the show wasn't a sold out crowd of
4,000 people, but that it was still a "pretty full house." The team is so
successful, he said, because of its variety.

"Hardcore basketball fans can see the talent of these guys,
and what makes them famous is their skits that kids of all ages really enjoy,"
Torrey said. "They have the comedy parts of the show. It's really got something
for everyone."

Steele also said that the team is successful because of its "goodwill
ambassadors," players who go to different media outlets and community pillars
like Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and more to help spread the word about the
team's upcoming games. Those visits, he says, "continue to keep their brand as
popular as it is."

Blakes, who is one of the team's current goodwill ambassadors,
agrees. He brings up the visits to area schools and recreation centers, and
mentions a list of initiatives the team is involved in: a bully prevention
program that they aim to land in 300 schools by the end of the year, a "Some
Playtime Is Necessary" (SPIN) program that encourages children to stay active
for at least 60 minutes a day, and others.

"I think it helps tremendously," he said. "It brings
awareness that the Globetrotters are coming to town."